Steps to Writing a Fictional Narrative (Short Story

Steps to Writing a Fictional Narrative (Short Story)
1. Read and understand the prompt or writing directions. What kind of story are you being asked
to write?
Example: Fictional Narrative Writing Task
In this writing test, you will write a fictional short story. Your writing will be scored on how well you:
• tell a story about a fictional event
• develop a plot with a beginning, middle, and end;
• develop a setting and characters;
• use appropriate strategies such as action, descriptive detail, and dialogue to make your story interesting; and
• use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization
2. Decide on your topic. Come up with a character that has one strength and one weakness.
3. Create a conflict. What problem will the character face? How will he or she overcome this
problem?
4. Set the scene. Where will your story take place? What specific sensory details can you include to
show the reader your setting?
5. Plan the complications. What will be the sequence of events in the story? How will you connect
the events so they flow smoothly together? How can you make the action of the story come alive?
6. Determine the climax. What will the character do to create tension in the story? Don’t skimp on
the climax. This should be the most exciting, thrilling, or meaningful moment in the story.
7. Wrap up with a resolution. How has the character changed? Does the ending flow naturally from
the rest of the story?
8. Revise. Do you start strong? Do your first sentences focus on dialogue, conflict, setting, or
character? Do you use vivid details to describe the setting, action, and characters? Did you include
dialogue? Do the characters sound like real people? Do your sentences flow well? Do you use
transitional words and phrases to connect ideas and events? Do you have paragraph breaks whenever
there’s a shift in time or place?
9. Proof read and edit. Check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Are you using consistent
verb tense? Are the names of people and places spelled correctly and capitalized?
10. Write a final draft. Use blue or black ink. Skip lines. Write on one side of the paper only.
Include an intriguing title on the first line.
11. Read your story one more time before you turn it in. Look for careless spelling, punctuation,
and grammar errors, especially omitted words or letters. Cross out errors neatly with a single line and
write the correction above.